Tuesday, April 12, 2011

More Wilderness Adventure Layouts

The reason to do layouts here (in America or your homeland) is so you can create custom acting.By "custom" I mean creating original poses and expressions that only fit the particular scene and story you are working on.If you are just gonna use stock prefab model sheet poses and expressions, then there really is no reason to do layouts in the country. You might as well just send the script directly overseas. It's a lot cheaper and all that matters is what the characters say anyway, right? Not how they say it or how they think?This is not exactly what layout was created for. It's really the animator's job to create the acting, but since animation is all done overseas (or in flash) this is the best solution I could come up with to at least have some directorial control over the performances in the stories.It's a bandaid created for TV production. However, TV practices and philosophy have largely been adopted by many full animators too. Meaning that most animators these days are expected to not really vary much from the model sheets or even the limited house styles that exist today. I see characters in every major studio making the same expressions and moving the same way they have moved for 25 years. Maybe some move smoother or have more overlap, but the acting seems to be out of the can.I've found that even really good animators have trouble adapting to different styles and especially breaking out of stock expressions, actions and poses. Too many artists do things the way "it's supposed to be done".So layout is also a way for me aid the animators in getting the customized acting I like.Chuck Jones used to do a lot of his own poses even back when he had great full animators at WB. I think he said not all them could draw well and needed detailed poses from the director.The ideal to me would be to have animators who not only can move things smoothly, but who also have their own individual styles - and an ability to break from formula - to be able to think on their feet. To be able to feel the emotions of scene and have the chops to translate those feelings into distinct and confident drawings and animation.

FORMULA THINKING VS FEELING

Instead of approaching a scene with thoughts like "Let's see, how is 'happy' supposed to look?" or "How many frames does an anticipation and overshoot take?" Or "How much overlapping action can I squeeze into the scene?" "How can I get some 'tude into the pose?" I much prefer artists who understand the characters and story and the specific scenes they are working on. Then they naturally from the depths of their loins custom craft all the drawings and timing to milk the maximum impact and surprises out of the context of the story.

That's one of the things I love about Clampett. He encourages his animators to customize everything rather than just repeat actions they have already done a million times. That's true creativity as opposed to being merely smooth and professional.

More poses? You'll probably have to put up with another lecture; sorry about that.

44 comments:

So the layout was something that wasn't always around from the early days? That's pretty interesting. It's a shame that we've had to add an extra step that wouldn't be necessary if the studios weren't trying to save a penny in weird places.

You draw the funniest goddamn mouths. I have noticed myself obsessing over the details of people's grills since I started reading this blog. I met a girl at the bar last night and we came back to my place. I'm not sure I'll recognize her if I see her again because I was fixated on her mouth the entire time we were together. She had these little Chiclet-like, overlapping incisors, like Kirsten Dunst, and an extra eye-tooth that grew from her upper-gum on one side. I don't even remember what color her eyes were, but I could pick out that mouth in a police line-up. Dammit...now I have to start drawing and it's nearly 3 in the morning. Thanks, John.

it something i have heard many animators say, you have to provide the acting in the layout, so even if the animator is really bad, the basic posses would force him the way you want.

about flash, it gotten a very bad name, mainly because it is always used in the wrong way. but actually it is not that bad, when used for very specific purposes, and once you force yourself to ignore some of it's "time saving" features.

Oh God John! You really ruined me!...in a good way. I've been spoiled by these amazing poses throughout your entire career. No one beats you in the animated acting game! I'd love to see more poses, it's great inspiration.

Ah, now the process is a lot clearer as to how it works. I had been lumping it together as all being part of the storyboarding phase, but it actually breaks the process up in a more sensible way. Adding in the more refined acting after establishing the broader story beats.

Still not sure where I got the idea layouts were more like full color "mock ups". Probably from some behind the scenes material, the kind of stuff that usually gets the fine points wrong while attemting to show the audience "how it's done".

I'd like to see more layouts from some of the classic episodes. I seem to recall with the ones Bob Jaques worked on that he added more stuff in the animation phase, though.

One important note: to be a good actor you must have LIFE EXPERIENCE to draw from. You must make mistakes, get angry, have triumphs, have hard times, fall in love... If you spend your entire life hiding indoors behind a computer screen or television and never go out and experience the world to the fullest, your acting will reflect such a lifestyle.

Can't wait for you to see my next comic... it comes out on Saturday...

"Chuck Jones used to do a lot of his own poses even back when he had great full animators at WB. I think he said not all them could draw well and needed detailed poses from the director."

If he did say that, then do you think that it is because he wanted to show his "signature style" out of ego rather than Bob Clampett allowing for variations that cause creative sparks to flow, or what do you think?

Yes, more pose lecturing! Since reading your blog, I've learned so much about my approach to comics, I honestly don't know how formulaic comics (especially on the web) get away with being so ... well, formulaic.

It's not just about who can draw the goofiest face, or who make the cleverest reference to an oft-used Internet meme to the point of sterilization and redundancy -- it's about engaging with the widest audience that has ever been available in the history of mankind, and to make it relevant.

So yes, this is my way of thanking you, Mr K, for your blog and all the fantastic lectures/rants you post here. If it weren't for you, I'd probably jumping on the bandwagon with another goddamn Pokémon comic. Instead, I've decided to create my own characters, with their own personalites, gaits, methods of speech, and of course silhouette, and make sure I'm doing it well, always yearning to improve.

I definitely want to see more! I'm especially curious as to how the layouts coincide with the storyboards. I understand that the layouts are an elaboration on the boards but where do the meet and expand? Maybe a side by side would be nice.

So is it that the layouts haven't reached the point in the boards or did some of the acting change in the layouts? For instance, in the boards George has Ren by his collar is it that we haven't got that far or did the acting change it so that he grabs him differently? IE the second image on the first post versus the last image on the second post.

I've read that Chuck Jones almost fired Lloyd Vaughn for not being as good an animator as the others. But, thankfully for Lloyd, Ken Harris stepped in and gave him some pointers. From then on, Lloyd did some fine animation for Chuck (that is until the brief shoutdown in 1953 when he left the studio).

After more than 5 years of blogging, NOW you're worried about your rants? ;) No big deal. With this particular rant I completely agree with everything said. Animation definitely needs to be produced entirely in house again. Now, how to make it economically feasible so that brainless and spineless executives will go for it.

i think layouts are essential for cartoons its like if you don't want to draw then go be a plumber or somthing jesus...

i love the drawings in this blog a little to much ,

hey john when i was a kid like 16 i wrote you a letter an you sent me back a letter saying i was the 1st kid from australia to write to you ,

i met you at the kaboom exhibition in australia which was a blast with bob clampetts son etc etc..

an when i came to la as a kid your secretary gave me a tour of spumco studio ...you were not there you were in new york......

fast forward i am now 30 a cartoonist .i publish an draw underground comics which i have been drawing writing for years im comming to the united states tommorrow let me know if you would like to meet a big fan for lunch or beers my shout mate .

have you seen the cartoon online ''burnt face man ''?the drawings are fucking shit but the characters an dialogue is fucking hillerous i like how he paces the gags.